Ice-creeper.



No. 831,954. PATENTBD SEPT. 25, 1906.

W. R. JENKINS.

ICE OREEPER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lCE-CREEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed July 28. 1905. Serial No. 271.642.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

- article will be appreciated and the cheapness Be it known thatI,WILLIAM R. JENKINS, a I of construction as well as the readyadjustcitizen of the United States, residing at Bellefonte, in thecounty of Center and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Ice Creepers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in ice-creepers, and the objectis to provide a practical, marketable article which may be cheaply andeasily constructed, one capable of easy application to the heel of aboot or shoe of various sizes.

l/Vith the foregoing objects in view this invention consists of a singlespring-wire bent at or near the center to form tension-coils adapted toengage the front of the heel and having two legs adapted to be spread toaccommodate the width of the heel, they having upturned hooks at theirfree ends, which embrace the sides of the heel and the wire extendingforward to a point over the bottom of the heel, where they terminate inspurs adapted to penetrate the ice or slippery surface to preventslipping.

The invention further consists in certain novel features andcombinations of parts, which will behereinafter described and pointenout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a heel,showing my improved ice-creeper attached. Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame, and Fig. 3 a detached view of the creeper.

A single wire, preferably tempered to an elastic spring-temper, is bentat or near the center so that a double coil K L is formed,theconnecting-bar N being adapted to embrace the forward edge 0 of the heelM, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, about midway from its lower surface. Fromthe double coil the parts of the wire extend nearly parallel in theirnormal condition, forming the legs A and B, and the ends of the wire arebent back alongside the legs a short distance, hooks and D being formedat the outer ends of the legs, which are adapted to embrace the sides ofthe heel M, as shown in Fig. 2, and the extreme ends of the wire arebent outwardly to form spurs I and J, the backs of which rest somewhereon the lower surface of the heel, their function being to roughen theheel M and penetrate the slip-.

pery surface and prevent slipping.

From the foregoing the simplicity of the ment or adaptability of thearticle to different sizes of heels.

In its normal condition the appearance of the device is about asillustrated in Fig. 3.

A and B are spread to straddle the heel, the cross-bar N being placedagainst the forward end of the heel and the hooks C and D against itssides, the spring tension causing the creeper to grip the heel rigidlyat three approximately equidistant points, thus holding the creepersecurely in place against accidental displacement and providing aneffectual means to prevent slipping. Likewise the article is of such anature that it may be conthe owner. Also it is of such a nature and ofsuch construction that it may be made at a trifling initial cost.

Slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of theseveral parts described without departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exactconstruction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what ters Patent, is

As an article of manufacture, an ice-creeper composed of a single pieceof wire bent at the center to form two coils and a connecting-bar, thelatter constructed and adapted to embrace the forward edge of a heel,thence extending directly rearward to form the main legs of the creeper,and thence returning parallel with the outer sides of the legs, andterminating in outwardly-extending spurs at where the wire has thereturn bends having the form of hooks which embrace the rear of theheel, the free ends of the creeper being spread apart or caused todiverge when applied to the heel whereby the sides of the latterareembraced by the hooks and the spurs are each supported by the main legsof the creeper both from the rear and one side.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM R. JENKINS. Witnesses:

JOHN P. HARRIs, HARRY KELLAR.

To apply it to a heel, the free ends of the legs I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Let veniently applied or removed at the will of thesides of the legs of the creeper, the ends

